Will's Wonder Book. Louisa May Alcott

in rings. The common bees turn nurses, and take care of the babies with the greatest tenderness, feeding and tending them for about six days, — when they are fully grown. Then they shut them up, to keep them safe; and they line the walls of the cells with silken tapestry, in which they undergo the last change. When they first come out winged insects, they are very weak; but, in a few hours, they become strong enough to fly off and go to work."

      " Don't you wish our babies grew up, and got useful, as quick as that? What lots of trouble it would save," said Will, — who, boy-like, didn't see the charms of " little squallers," as he called very young men and women.

      " Mothers and grandmas would lose a deal of pleasure, if they did," said the old lady, who had petted both children ever since they were born. " Well, my dears, these little friends of ours are loyal to death, and cling to their queen through everything. If she happens to die, all work stops till a new queen appears. If she is taken away, they follow, if they can, and will not leave her. A man tried the experiment of cutting off a queen-bee's wing, and keeping her where the rest could follow. They gathered round her; and, as she could not fly away, they preferred to stay and starve, rather than quit her. For five days, they lived without food, but not one left her; and, at last, all lay dead, with the dear queen still in their midst."

      " They rallied round the flag like good ones, didn't they? I like 'em for that; " and Will sat up, to watch a burly brown bee hard at work in a dandelion close by.

      " I heard of a man, who had the power of charming bees, so that they obeyed him, and never hurt him in the least They would swarm all over his head and shoulders quite harmlessly, and let him do what he liked. He played general with them, arranging them on a table, in regiments and battalions, where they waited till he uttered the word of command, when they began to march, rank and file, like regular soldiers. He taught his Lilliputians politeness also, for none ever stung the people who came to see the curious show."

      " I'd like to have seen that! — it must have been fun. Wonder if I could do it? " said Will, eyeing the beehive, wistfully.

      " I advise you not to try, till you learn the charm. There are various kinds of bees, you know. Polly would like the poppy-bee, who makes her nest in the ground, burrowing down about three inches. At the bottom, she makes a large, round hole, and lines it splendidly with the scarlet leaves of the wild poppy. She cuts and fits the pretty tapestry, till it is thick and soft and warm, then partly fills the cell with honey, lays an egg, folds down the red blankets, and closes up the hole, so it cannot be distinguished; and there, in its rosy cradle, with food to eat, and a safe nook to rest in, she leaves her baby-bee to take care of itself."

      " How cunning! I'll line Phena's cradle with red flannel right away," cried Polly, who did like the poppy-bee.

      "The leaf-cutting bee makes-her cells of green leaves, shaping them like thimbles. These little jars she half fills with a rose-colored paste of honey and pollen from thistles, lays her eggs, and covers the pots with round leaf-lids, that fit exactly. The mason-bee makes its nest of mud or mortar. It looks like a bit of dirt, sticking to a wall, but has little cells within. The mother-bee does all the work, sticking little grains of sand and earth together with her own glue. The carpenter-bee bores holes in posts, and makes her cells of sawdust and glue. The carding-bees live in holes, among stones and roots, making nests of moss, lined with wax, to keep the wet out, with a long gallery by which to enter. They find a bit of moss, and several bees place themselves in a row, with their backs toward the nest; then the foremost lays hold of the moss and pulls it up with her jaws, drives it with her fore-feet under her body as far toward the next as possible. The second does the same; and in this way, tiny heaps of prepared moss are got to the nest by the file of four or five, and others weave it into shape."

      " They must look as if they were playing leap-frog. Here, old fellow, give us a back! " cried Will, with a laugh, and a leap over the brown bee still tumbling about in the dandelion.